Runner for railway house cars



Jan. 5, 1932i. J. REED' 1,839,440

RUNNER FOR RAILWAY HOUSE CARS Filed July 9, 1930 Patented dan. 5, 1932 STATES JAMES nenn, on CHICAGO, ILLINoIs RUNNER FOR RAILWAY HOUSE CARS Application filed July 9, 1930. Serial No. 466,697'.

The invention relates to railway freight train cars and more particularly to box or other type of house Cars which are equipped with running boards along the center of the top of the car to enable brakemen and others to pass along'the car or from one car to the other.

The wooden running boards now in general use are dangerous to the brakcmen because n) the hot sun warps them causing them to raise the securing bolts or screws so that they form -trips for the brakeinen to stumble over. rIhis raising of the bolts or screws is augmented by the Weaving of the car `in service. These 1:3 boards also split and break od' causing lanother element of danger and, furthermore, lumber is increasing in costeach year. All of the factors make the present running board expensive as to first cost as well as maintenance. i

The Interstate Commerce Commission by order entered March 13, 1911, provided, Y among other things, that running boards on box and house cars shall be made of wood. The Interstate Commerce Commission recognizing the danger of wooden running boards temporarily modified this order to the extent of permitting any carrier to equip, for purpose of investigation and test, a sufficient Si) number of its box and other house cars with running boards of material other than Wood which it is believed may provide av greater degree of safety than is provided by running boards made of Wood. 1

The object of the invention is to provide a metallic runner so formed to provide a stiff and light beam between the runner support or saddles and to. cover such metallic runner with a. non-skid, waterproof and preferably 11" flexible tread. I

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a vertical` section through my improved runner and the associated parts of the car.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the runner;

In the form illustrated the car is provided with theusual carlines 2 which support the rivets 5 and the runner 7 extends longitudinally of the car and is supported by the saddles 4 and attached thereto by bolts 8. The runner comprises a metallic plate having a flat surface extending longitudinally .of the car and is preferably provided with a depending flange at each longitudinal margin to strengthen it to carry the imposed load to the adjacent carlines. These flanges also preferably provide means for attaching the runner to the saddle by means of |the bolt 1l.

A non-skid and preferably waterproof tread- 13 is laid over Vand rests upon the flat surface of the runner and is secured thereto, for instance, bythe bolts 8 or may be cemented thereto. It is not desirable, however, to have any projection on the Walking surface of the runner, therefore, I prefer to provide the tread with a depending portion 14: adjacent each longitudinal margin which engages and is secured to the depending flange 10 of the metallic runner by the bolts 15. The

tread is also preferably flexible to accommof date the service movements of the car without cracking or tearing.l y

The depending flange 10 of the runner may be provided with an upwardly projecting reflange 17 forming a groove 18 into which the depending portion 14 of the tread is fitted. The reflange may be squeezed (19) against the flange to hold the tread in place or may be secured thereto by the bolts 15.

The non-skid flexible and waterproof tread may be made of any one of several compositions now on the market, but I prefer to use one comprising a roofing felt which has a base of burlap impregnated in asphalt on this felt and surfaced with sea gravel.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that scope of' theV claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim: y

1. In a' railway car, the combination of a plurality of saddles, a metallic runner having a flat surface extending longitudinally of the car and supported by said saddles, and a separate non-skid tread resting upon Said flat surface and secured to the runner.

2. In a railway car, the combination of a plurality of saddles, a metallic runner having a flat surface extending longitudinally of the car and supportedby said saddles, and a separate non-skid ieXible, waterproof tread resting upon said fiat surface and secured to vthe runner.

8. In a railway car, the combination of a plurality of saddles, a metallic runner having a fiat surface extending longitudinally of the car and supported by said saddles, said runner provided with a depending flange at each longitudinal margin, and a separate non-skid tread resting upon said ilat surface, said tread having depending portions adjacent its longitudinal margins secured to the flanges of the runner.

4. In a railway car, the combination of a plurality of saddles, a metallic runner having a Hat surface extending longitudinally of the car and supported by said saddles, said runner provided with a depending flange at each longitudinal margin, said fiangesbeing relanged to form grooves, a separate nonskid tread resting upon said lat surface, said tread having depending portions adjacent its longitudinal margins fitting into the grooves, and means to retain said portions in the grooves.'

5. In a railway car, the combination of a metallic runner, and a separate non-skid flexible, waterproof tread secured to the runner.

JAMES REED. 

